I am documenting my ongoing story of my 5yo male cat Kinney, of whom I am very fond. He has two 4yo male housemates who are brothers. All three get along swimmingly.
This all started in late spring with the three of them hauling up mice from the basement, one after the other - a seemingly endless supply of mouse toys. In all I would say they have caught more than 20 mice this summer - as if I have a mouse expressway into the basement. They play with them like delicate toys, never eating them but being very careful to make the mice last as long as possible. I noticed one day that my dry food bowls were going untouched for several days. Nobody was eating! At the time, I just figured they were having such a great time that they didn't have time for food. After awhile though, I started to worry.
The "brothers" resumed eating afterward, but Kinney's appetite slacked off to nothing. I also noticed him having coughing fits in the middle of the night, so by mid-June I was concerned enough to take him into my regular vet.
June 18: Told doctor my story about the mice, the group food strike, and asked specifically to check Kinney for lung congestion as well as reason why he wasn't eating. Doctor said his lungs sounded very clear, said he looked good - but gave me Bayer Profender (a flea and tick topical) for all three cats in case they might have caught some parasite and was sent home. Kinney weighed 9.6 pounds, one pound less than a year before.
June 24: Regular vet now unavailable due to a trip of his, so took Kinney into an Emergency Facility. Still not eating. ER took bloodwork from him and did two very clear x-rays of his midsection. The x-rays were unremarkable, but his bloodwork indicated he had anemia. They gave him a shot of Convenia antibiotic and sent me home with two cans of Science Diet A/D. They offered up a script for Cyproheptadine (an appetite stimulant), but I declined due to bad experience with another one (Mirtazine) years ago with former cats.
June 27: Read up on anemia and took a fecal sample in to my vet's office in case there were any intestinal parasites the Profender didn't cure. Results came back negative. Vet's office received bloodwork results from the ER visit, but not the x-ray images. Apparently x-rays are routinely not forwarded. Kinney's eating is sparse. Very worried.
June 28: Called back to the ER's doctor and said I would try the Cyproheptadine, and asked that it be made into a topical that I could apply to his ear. I had had great success with topicals in the past with another elderly cat's thyroid medicine, so decided to try. Gave him one dose on his ear and 15 minutes later, he was eating - a miracle! His eating improves with the appetite stimulant, but does not totally recover. At least he is eating something...
July 9: Regular vet still on his trip, so booked a follow-up appt. with a substitute vet. Told her Kinney was eating fairly good on the Cyproheptadine, but sounded like he had a plugged up nose. She was very concerned about the anemia. She prescribed Doxycycline (also as a topical), which is often used for respiratory or sinus infections. I could see the logic there. Kinney weighed 8.5 pounds at that visit, another pound lost in three weeks. He was eating some, but not enough to sustain his weight. Doctor took bloodwork and ordered a full infectious disease panel. Results came back negative for FeLV, FIV, FCV, Toxoplasma, Cryptococcus.
July 10-July 15: Once I start the Doxycycline dosing, Kinney's appetite again tanks and it was as if the Cyproheptadine no longer works. He is barely eating at all.
July 16: Regular vet has returned and said my next step was to do an ultrasound. I read up on what an ultrasound would be finding and seemed like mostly cancer. Meanwhile, I had stopped over at the ER and gotten copies of the x-rays and reviewed them with my regular vet. He did not see anything remarkable. Kinney continues hunger strike. Extremely worried. Doctor said maybe better take Kinney to a larger ER facility since he is in such a weakened state. Discontinue the Doxycycline treatments, but continue the Cyproheptadine appetite stimulant. Barely eating - batteries dwindling.
July 19: Called the larger ER facility and booked an ultrasound appt. for July 22. I am frantic by this point. Kinney is an absolute stick figure and has taken to hiding under the bed, which I know is a very bad sign. On the bright side he still purrs, cleans himself and seems alert although sleeps alot. Hardly eating at all. Not sure he will even make it for his ultrasound appt. on Monday.
July 20: Surrender and take him into the larger (and very expensive) ER. He has very bad anemia by this point. Leave him there overnight for a blood transfusion and Ringer's drip to see if we can shore him up for his ultrasound appt. ER not sure that the transfusion will cure his appetite. Big money. Just buying time.
So far, four doctors have seen him and no one is sure what is wrong. Other than he is anorexic and has anemia. We have ruled out the regular infectious diseases that usually cause anemia, so are moving on to cancer. He is only 5yo. I will update this "diary post" with what happens next. I felt it was worth the transfusion if he should need surgery or something - he is weak - maybe it will shore him up. He is a darling and has hung on patiently for over a month. I will re-evaluate once I have some diagnosis.
This all started in late spring with the three of them hauling up mice from the basement, one after the other - a seemingly endless supply of mouse toys. In all I would say they have caught more than 20 mice this summer - as if I have a mouse expressway into the basement. They play with them like delicate toys, never eating them but being very careful to make the mice last as long as possible. I noticed one day that my dry food bowls were going untouched for several days. Nobody was eating! At the time, I just figured they were having such a great time that they didn't have time for food. After awhile though, I started to worry.
The "brothers" resumed eating afterward, but Kinney's appetite slacked off to nothing. I also noticed him having coughing fits in the middle of the night, so by mid-June I was concerned enough to take him into my regular vet.
June 18: Told doctor my story about the mice, the group food strike, and asked specifically to check Kinney for lung congestion as well as reason why he wasn't eating. Doctor said his lungs sounded very clear, said he looked good - but gave me Bayer Profender (a flea and tick topical) for all three cats in case they might have caught some parasite and was sent home. Kinney weighed 9.6 pounds, one pound less than a year before.
June 24: Regular vet now unavailable due to a trip of his, so took Kinney into an Emergency Facility. Still not eating. ER took bloodwork from him and did two very clear x-rays of his midsection. The x-rays were unremarkable, but his bloodwork indicated he had anemia. They gave him a shot of Convenia antibiotic and sent me home with two cans of Science Diet A/D. They offered up a script for Cyproheptadine (an appetite stimulant), but I declined due to bad experience with another one (Mirtazine) years ago with former cats.
June 27: Read up on anemia and took a fecal sample in to my vet's office in case there were any intestinal parasites the Profender didn't cure. Results came back negative. Vet's office received bloodwork results from the ER visit, but not the x-ray images. Apparently x-rays are routinely not forwarded. Kinney's eating is sparse. Very worried.
June 28: Called back to the ER's doctor and said I would try the Cyproheptadine, and asked that it be made into a topical that I could apply to his ear. I had had great success with topicals in the past with another elderly cat's thyroid medicine, so decided to try. Gave him one dose on his ear and 15 minutes later, he was eating - a miracle! His eating improves with the appetite stimulant, but does not totally recover. At least he is eating something...
July 9: Regular vet still on his trip, so booked a follow-up appt. with a substitute vet. Told her Kinney was eating fairly good on the Cyproheptadine, but sounded like he had a plugged up nose. She was very concerned about the anemia. She prescribed Doxycycline (also as a topical), which is often used for respiratory or sinus infections. I could see the logic there. Kinney weighed 8.5 pounds at that visit, another pound lost in three weeks. He was eating some, but not enough to sustain his weight. Doctor took bloodwork and ordered a full infectious disease panel. Results came back negative for FeLV, FIV, FCV, Toxoplasma, Cryptococcus.
July 10-July 15: Once I start the Doxycycline dosing, Kinney's appetite again tanks and it was as if the Cyproheptadine no longer works. He is barely eating at all.
July 16: Regular vet has returned and said my next step was to do an ultrasound. I read up on what an ultrasound would be finding and seemed like mostly cancer. Meanwhile, I had stopped over at the ER and gotten copies of the x-rays and reviewed them with my regular vet. He did not see anything remarkable. Kinney continues hunger strike. Extremely worried. Doctor said maybe better take Kinney to a larger ER facility since he is in such a weakened state. Discontinue the Doxycycline treatments, but continue the Cyproheptadine appetite stimulant. Barely eating - batteries dwindling.
July 19: Called the larger ER facility and booked an ultrasound appt. for July 22. I am frantic by this point. Kinney is an absolute stick figure and has taken to hiding under the bed, which I know is a very bad sign. On the bright side he still purrs, cleans himself and seems alert although sleeps alot. Hardly eating at all. Not sure he will even make it for his ultrasound appt. on Monday.
July 20: Surrender and take him into the larger (and very expensive) ER. He has very bad anemia by this point. Leave him there overnight for a blood transfusion and Ringer's drip to see if we can shore him up for his ultrasound appt. ER not sure that the transfusion will cure his appetite. Big money. Just buying time.
So far, four doctors have seen him and no one is sure what is wrong. Other than he is anorexic and has anemia. We have ruled out the regular infectious diseases that usually cause anemia, so are moving on to cancer. He is only 5yo. I will update this "diary post" with what happens next. I felt it was worth the transfusion if he should need surgery or something - he is weak - maybe it will shore him up. He is a darling and has hung on patiently for over a month. I will re-evaluate once I have some diagnosis.
for Kinney!
